


New Years Through the Ages

by sartiebodyshots



Category: Falling Skies
Genre: F/M, M/M, New Year's Eve, Post-Series, Pre-Series, Rebecca's Death- mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-10 19:31:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5598109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sartiebodyshots/pseuds/sartiebodyshots
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Various Masons in various New Years settings from the late 80s to the end of 2015.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Years Through the Ages

**Author's Note:**

> Wooooo, it's almost 2016. So! I've been watching Falling Skies for ~about~ a year by now. Since then, I've written over 400k of fanfic for the series, according to AO3. That makes it the fandom I've written the most for by far. I've also written over half the works in the AO3 Falling Skies tag, too. What an accomplishment. Or something.
> 
> So! Thank you to everyone who has read any of my stuff this year (even if u hate read it tbh), thank you to anyone who has left kudos or comments, and a super special thank you to Johanna, who hasd read every single word and commented on every single fic. Not to mention inspiring more than a few of them.

5!

4!

3!

2!

1!

_Happy New Year!_

[ **somewhere in the late 80s** ]

It’s not a coincidence that Tom ended up next to Rebecca at the party as it started to get near midnight.  They spent most of the last semester helping each other out in their classes- she is really good at calculus and he is really good at history- but now that the semester is over there’s really no reason for them to hang out together.

The two of them don’t have any overlapping friends- and Tom has checked.  It’s too bad, because Tom has really enjoyed hanging out with her.  Even if it usually involved calculus.  That they probably won’t see each other around anymore is really the only reason he decided to come to this New Year’s Eve party.

“Tom!” Rebecca says, brightening when she sees him.  “You did come!”

He scratches his neck and nods.  “It sounded like fun.”

She loops her arm through his and laughs.  “I know you’re not a big partier, but I’m glad you came.”

They end up outside on the balcony, Rebecca leaning against him. 

“I’m glad I came, too,” Tom says, trying not to sound nervous.  “It’s good to relax a little.”

“That’s the thing about you, Tom.  You’re always so tense,” Rebecca says.  “You’re only nineteen; sometimes I think you’re an old man already.”

Oh man, that doesn’t sound promising.  Who wants to hang out with an old man? 

The countdown to the New Year starts, and Tom is glad that they’re outside, where it’s too dark for Rebecca to see how he’s blushing.

“Happy New Year, Rebecca,” Tom says when they reach zero. 

Rebecca leans forward and kisses him hard.  Her hands fumble to grab his shoulders as his hands fumble to find her waist to pull her closer.  This is definitely not what he expected to happen when he decided to come to the party, but there’s also no one else that he wanted to ring in the New Year with more.

“Happy new year, Tom,” Rebecca murmurs when they finally pull apart.

“Wow,” Tom says, breathless. 

“Let’s do that every year,” Rebecca says.

It’s a joke- they’re technically not even dating yet- but Tom can live with that.

[ **1999- 2000** ]

They have two kids now, Ben and Hal, so even though they got invited out to New Year’s parties, they decide to stay home.  Babysitters and getting all dressed up is less fun than just hanging out together. 

Tom pops popcorn while Rebecca puts Hal to bed. 

“Can you believe it’s almost the new millennium?” Tom asks Ben, asleep in his car seat.  It’s the only place Ben ever falls asleep these days, for some reason, but once he’s snuggled up in there, it’s hard to wake him up.

“Hopefully the world doesn’t end,” Rebecca says dryly from the doorway. 

Tom rolls his eyes dramatically.  “Everyone always predicts the end of the world.  Shockingly, the world always endures.  Do you want a list of all the times someone has predicted the end of the world?  And yet somehow, we’re still here.”

Rebecca holds her hands up in surrender.  “No, no.  Your lecture will go on until the actual end of the world, I’m sure.  Or at least until the boys are in college.”

Tom snorts. 

* * *

 

As it approaches midnight, Tom and Rebecca are sitting on the couch, snuggled up together.  It’s not as easy to make it to midnight as it used to be.  Ben’s car seat is perched on the chair, turned so the light from the TV doesn’t hit his face.

They hear tiny footsteps coming down the hall, so they’re not surprised when Hal crawls up into their laps.  God, he’s getting big.  Three whole years old.

“New year,” Hal says, clearly halfway asleep. 

“We might as well let him stay up,” Tom says.  “It’s historic.”

“You just wanna make sure I’m here to kiss you at midnight,” Rebecca says.

“Hey, we’ve managed it every year that we’ve known each other,” Tom says.  “I’m not gonna stop now.”

“Shh!” Hal hushes.  “The new year is happening.”

It’s not actually happening for another five minutes, but they hush anyway, snuggled together on the couch. 

“Happy New Year!” Hal cries out when the countdown reaches zero.

Tom grins and leans over to kiss Rebecca.

“It’s gonna be a good millennium, nerd,” Rebecca says affectionately.

[ **2010-2011** ]

“I miss you and the boys,” Tom says over the phone.  He can’t believe they decided to have a historical conference over _New Year’s_ , of all days. 

“We are having a grand old time,” Rebecca says, “and we miss you, too.”

“I’m sorry I can’t be there,” Tom says.  “That means no kisses.”

“It’s okay.  We’ll kiss next year,” Rebecca says.  “And I have three cute little boys to give me a kiss on the cheek.”

They sit on the phone together until 2011 comes.

[ **2011-2012** ]

Tom is alone.

[ **2013-2014** ]

“Why do humans kiss at the start of your year?” Cochise asks, head tilted. 

“It’s to make sure that you ring in the New Year right,” Tom says, sadly.

“But it makes you unhappy?” Cochise asks.  He is much better at reading human emotion than he used to be, thanks to his relationship with Tom. 

“Just sad,” Tom says, looking up at him.  “Me and Rebecca first kissed on New Year’s at some party.  It was our tradition.  No matter what, we’d start each year off kissing each other.  Even if we were fighting.  But the last year before the Espheni came… I had to go to a conference for work and I missed it.  We didn’t have a next year.”

“You had no way of knowing what was to come,” Cochise says.  He wraps his arm around Tom’s waist to comfort his human.

“I know.  I regret it anyway,” Tom says. 

“We will wait until after the new year to kiss,” Cochise says firmly.  “Then, we will have many kisses.”

“Thank you,” Tom says. 

[ **2014-2015** ]

Hal gleefully grins up at Shaq.  “We have a human tradition, you know.”

“You have many idiotic human traditions, I am aware of this fact,” Shaq says with clear distain in his voice.

“We’ve gotta kiss at midnight,” Hal says.  “Since we’re together and all.  So we can start the new year off right.”

“We are not in any kind of relationship,” Shaq says stiffly.  “I do not like you at all.”

“Mhm,” Hal says, pressing himself against Shaq and holding him close.

Shaq could easily pry him off, but instead, he rests a hand on his head.  “Perhaps we should seek out privacy.”

“Good idea,” Hal says.

Hal has no idea if they were technically kissing when 2015 began, but they sure started the year off with a bang.

[ **2015-2016** ]

Dad makes a speech about ‘new beginnings’ and ‘rebuilding the best parts of humanity’ and Ben usually listens to these things, but he’s also heard it all before.  Ben is honestly more interested in Frederick, the Volm ambassador to Earth.

They talk- a lot- and maybe even flirt- a lot- and he looks really good in his Volm formalwear.  Tonight is totally gonna be the night that he makes his move.  (He feels stupid just thinking about making his move.  He doesn’t have any moves.)

Matt tugs on Ben’s arm and Ben leans down a little.  “You’re paying even less attention to Dad than I am!”

Ben blushes at getting caught- and by Matt of all people.  “I’m paying attention!”

“No, you’re watching that dumb Volm,” Matt grumbles.

“He’s nice!” Ben protests.  “And funny!  And fun to talk to!”

Matt makes fake vomiting noises and Ben tries to pay attention to Dad and not the jittery feeling in his stomach.

* * *

 

“Your speech was really good,” Ben says at the reception, clutching to his glass of water.

“I am glad you enjoyed it.  I was uncertain what to say.  We do not celebrate the passing of years as you do,” Frederick says.  “Without a planet, marking the revolutions of the Volm homeworld seemed unnecessary.”

Ben nods.  “Maybe you’ll start celebrating now that you have your world back.”

“Perhaps.  But we are not as inclined to celebrate as you are,” Frederick says.  “I have been informed of a human tradition, by your older brother.”

“What did Hal tell you?” Ben asks, eyes narrowing.

“It is tradition to kiss at the start of the New Year.  You are the human that I am closest to and that I care for the most.  I would like to kiss you,” Frederick says.  “Of course, if you have already arranged to kiss someone else, I understand.”

Ben is either gonna punch Hal or hug him.  He hasn’t decided.

“Nope, there’s no one else,” Ben says quickly.  “And, uh, I’d like to kiss you, too.”

Frederick beams at him.  “I am glad.  I am now quite impatient for the year to end.”

“Me too,” Ben says. 

Feeling daring, he slips his hand into Frederick’s. 

“While I have never kissed anyone before, I have witnessed humans kissing, and I hope I will do it well,” Frederick says.

“It’ll be good,” Ben assures him, squeezing his hand.  “Because it’ll be you.  I’ve, uh, wanted to kiss you for a long time.”

“I have also wished to show my deep affection for you,” Frederick says. 

Everyone starts the countdown, and Ben turns to Frederick, cupping his face in his hands.  He looks nervous, and Ben is sure he does to, but when they reach zero, Ben leans forward to press his lips against Frederick’s.

This is a good tradition.


End file.
